Why I Still Love Spinning 10 Years Later

I left Prime Cycle smiling, sweaty, endorphin-fueled and curious, why has spin endured while other workout trends have come and gone? I came up with three reasons.

Reason #1: It’s about the journey, not the destination.At its core, spinning is a ride to nowhere. And that is just how I like it. During activities that involve getting from point A to point B, like running or tough mudders, I’m focused on getting to the finish line. With spin class, I’m able to just be present in the physical challenge of the moment, instead of always thinking about how I’m going to survive another mile down the road.

Reason #2: I get a good workout.A typical spin class burns about 7 to 14 calories per minute. All that pedaling is a really effective way to tone my legs and strengthen my glutes. For fitness multitaskers like myself, sucking in that belly and holding good posture throughout the ride provides a good core workout, too. Because I am in control of both my speed and the tension on the bike, each ride is customized to challenge, without pushing me too far.

Reason #3: I get to spend 45 minutes listening to guilty pleasure tunes.PrimeCycle had the best tunes! Never in my wildest iTunes shuffle would I ever get Rhianna, Kenny Loggins, Justin Bieber, Jessie J, R. Kelly, The Killers and Young MC together for a workout, but these guilty pleasure gems possess pure workout rocket fuel.

It’s been proven that people who cycle to music require less oxygen to do the same work as cyclists who spin in silence. Music helps you maintain a steady pace, elevates your mood and distracts you from the occasional agony of pushing yourself. What’s more important than the biological impact of hip-hop on my muscle performance is that the 45 minutes I spend singing to myself and shaking my engaged glutes can clear my mind and reduce my stress better than any bottle of wine or trip to the therapist ever could. So, thanks PrimeCycle, for reminding me of why I’m still in love with spin – a decade later.